In 2017, CDHA and the National Centre for Dental Hygiene Research & Practice (NCDHRP) co-hosted a global dental
hygiene conference, “Translating Knowledge to Action,” held October 19 to 21 in Ottawa, Canada’s capital.

Thank You!

Thanks to everyone who attended the 2017 global dental hygiene conference in beautiful Ottawa, Ontario, during Canada’s
150th anniversary. NCDHRP directors and board, CDHA staff and board of directors, and sponsors collaborated to
deliver one of the very best conferences to date.

Conference attendees can access conference handouts and a certificate of attendance in their
CDHA profile

When and Where

Downloads

Video

JoAnn Gurenlian's full plenary (55 min)

James Taylor opening greetings (2 min)

Conference Highlights

Close to 700 people from across Canada, 27 US states and 14 countries outside of North America attended the sold-out
conference, including dental hygienists, speakers, industry representatives, and students. Three preconference
workshops were held the morning of Thursday, October 19, followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony which marked the
opening of the conference and entry into the 60 peer-reviewed poster presentations. This was followed by an exhibit
hall reception in the evening sponsored by Sun Life Financial. A CDHA student session sponsored by Johnson &
Johnson, also on Thursday evening, provided an opportunity for dental hygiene students to meet with their peers
from other schools and network with the CDHA board of directors to discuss the future of the dental hygiene profession.

To kick off the day’s educational sessions on Friday, October 20, a procession of international dignitaries, CDHA
board directors and provincial presidents was led by a bagpiper into the main ballroom. A highlight was seeing
the contingent from the Royal Canadian Dental Corps standing at attention during the playing of the Star-Spangled
Banner and O Canada. During the opening plenary, generously sponsored by PHILIPS, Dr. JoAnn Gurenlian, past president
of IFDH and member of the NDHCRP advisory board, inspired us with the value we provide as dental hygienists.
Ten breakout sessions were offered throughout the rest of the day, interspersed with breaks and lunch in the
exhibit hall where members could reconnect with colleagues and visit the many dental hygiene-related exhibits.
On Friday evening, many of our delegates snapped photos in downtown Ottawa, enjoying a "Canada 150 Scavenger
Hunt."

Ribbon cutting

Poster presentations

Student Session

A huge THANK YOU! to everyone who generously supported our fundraising efforts at the conference in Ottawa. Between
proceeds of the silent auction and sales of our purple lanyards, just over $5,000 was raised for the Canadian
Foundation of Dental Hygiene Research and Education!

Silent Auction for the CFDHRE

Saturday, October 21, began with CDHA's annual general meeting and breakfast. Five breakout sessions were offered
in the morning, with 28 oral presentations being delivered by researchers in the afternoon. Between the morning
and afternoon sessions, delegates were invited to the Awards Luncheon sponsored by TD Insurance, which allowed
CDHA to honour members of our valued Partners' Circle as well as our award winners. Nineteen CDHA members also
received a pin recognizing their 25 years of dedication to the association. The NDHCRP also took the opportunity
to recognize their sponsors and to present awards. We also heard a short presentation about social responsibility
from Bev Woods.

Tiffany Ludwicki speaks to the crowd at the AGM

Memorable Quote

“I value you in what you do. You represent what is SO special about our profession and discipline. There is NO ONE
like a dental hygienist. You must understand your place in the world of health care and how very important you
are. Thank you for everything you do; for the caring person that you are and the wonderful work that you do.
Thank you so much. YOU are wonderful!” – Dr. JoAnn Gurenlian, RDH, PhD

Photo Galleries

Save the date

CDHA looks forward to hosting its next national conference, October 3-5, 2019, in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Make
plans now to join us on the rock! You’re sure to make some great memories. Registration will open in early 2019.